French Reality TV Star Patents Shampoo Comments

When French reality TV star Nabilla uttered the words "hello? I mean hello?" in horror after learning that fellow female contestants had not brought shampoo with them on a show, she had no idea they would become so popular.

But after they went viral on the web, spawning countless parodies and even inspiring several ad campaigns, both the reality TV show's production company and the brunette herself decided to register the expression as a trademark.

Nabilla Benattia is taking part in the fifth instalment of "The Angels of Reality TV" -- a show that groups together candidates and stars of other, previous reality TV shows and is filmed in the United States.

"Hello? I mean hello? You're a girl and you don't have shampoo, hello? Hello! Do you receive me? You're a girl and you don't have shampoo. It's as if I tell you, you're a girl and you don't have hair," she says in shock in one episode.

The sequence, posted on YouTube last month (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyW55FIAn2g), has been viewed millions of times.

The comments spawned countless parodies -- some becoming as popular as Nabilla's initial comments, such as one video where she calls a visibly irate Hitler -- and a few ad campaigns.

Ikea was quick to capitalise on the gimmick to promote its "Hallo" cushion in the southern city of Marseille, putting up a store sign saying "Hello? I mean hello? You're a chair and you don't have a cushion? Hello? Hello!"

The discount stores DIA, meanwhile, launched the slogan "hello? It's as if I tell you you're a hen and you're not made out of chocolate", days before Easter.

According to the website of France's intellectual property institute, "La Grosse Equipe" -- the production firm behind the show -- has since registered the entire expression and several variations as a trademark, as has the reality TV star herself.

Nabilla has appeared in the show "Love is Blind", where male and female contestants try and find love, and has shot to fame since starring in the current "Angels of Reality TV" programme.

She reportedly wants to become the next Kim Kardashian, the global reality TV star who comes from the United States.